Lebanese politicians Wednesday praised a decision to grant Lebanese passport holders visitor and tourist visas for free upon arrival in Iraq.
Lebanese passport holders will be granted a free multiple-entry visa for up to six months upon arrival, according to a decision signed Tuesday by Iraqi Interior Minister Qasim al-Araji. Lebanese previously had to apply for a visa beforehand at the Iraqi Embassy and pay a fee.
MP Yassine Jaber, who heads Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Committee, applauded the move Wednesday, saying the change bolstered Iraq as an important trade and economic partner.
Lebanon waived requirements for Iraqis to apply for visas ahead of time “six or seven years ago,” so “now there is equal treatment,” he said. Iraqis are eligible for free one-month visas, extendable to three months upon entering Lebanon.
“We’ve been working on it for a while now, and many [Lebanese] with business in Iraq assisted in the move,” he told The Daily Star.
Jaber said the visa waiver will make it easier to do business: “The proximity of Iraq and the steadily increasing traffic [between the two countries] will help Lebanon’s economy,” he said, noting Lebanon now has the opportunity to increase fruit and vegetable exports in particular.
Lebanon’s Minister of State for Combating Corruption, Nicolas Tueni, thanked the Iraqi government, saying the decision was issued as a result of discussions held in February between President Michel Aoun and Iraqi ministers during Aoun’s visit to the country.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
